The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-04-01

| thing as That. IL Is my duty tC
chronicle the fact that. the more Dick
thought about it, the more it aroused
him. 1t was downright meanness or
the old mans part to stand out IN
that way, according 10 Dicks opin
ion. OF course, he was an old mar
now and full OF whms; but he ought
to listen to common sense.
| He finally talked it over with Bess,
and, like the sensible girl she was, SHE
sought to act Us n mediator between
the two men. 1t was not the first
time woman's heart has been crush
ed by the obsiinancy OF two men, like
wheat by milstones Uncle Joe final.
| " told BeSs never to mention the
thing to HIM again. The fence was all
right as it was and should not be dis.
| turbel He had thouaht Dick Lam.
son IA pretty square kind OLA fellow"
| but IL that was the way he was going
to act, he didn't want anything more
to do with him; and, rs for Bess, she
needn't think she would ever get In;
| consent to marry such an out-and-out
scoundrel as he was.
OF course that put the climax or
the trouble. Bess, with her lovely
eyes full OF tears, told her lover the
old mans decision, and Dicks teeth
came together hard as he listened.
So it was war, was it? Well. il that
was so, he would see what the Law
could do.
In abont ten days after that the
trustees went out to the farms and
very gravely struggled through the
| tangled lame and staked out the line.
Then they served notice on the two
men that they must build n good eCa,
fence there within thirty days. I'm.
Gle Joe grimly looked on, and remark
ed that he knew what the law was and
he'd try to live up to it.
Dick went to work and cut rails
and drew them to the lane for the
purpose OF building his part OF the
fence but Uncle Joe made no move in
that direction. lie spent much OF his
He carried his gun most OF the Zine.
Now and then he brought home
rabbit for dinner. He had been, so he
was fond OF saying, something OF a
hunter in his time, and even now was
counted good shot Tor man OF HE
age.
After Dick cd finished splitting
rails for the fence, he had sharpened
his axe. and, taking good scythe,
went down to clear tie ground OF
brushes and briars.
He knew this would be no small
task, but his arms were strong and
his will good. Hardly an hour had
he worked when rifle shot rang out
on the mir and his strong right arm
dropped to his side painfully wound
ed.
So severe was his injury thai he
could do nothing toward discovering
who fired the murderous shot, and
he was alone. After he had made his
way To the house, the alarm was Civ
en- and crowd oil men and boys
turned out and hunted the lane from
end to end but in vain; no one could
be foun hiding there, and the deed re-
manned q mystery.
In this way things stood tor some
time. Dicks arm healed slowly some
how. The bone had been injured q
little, the doctor said, Dick saw Bess
now and then. He conld not help no.
ticing that the poor girls cheeks were
growing paler day by day and she
seemed ready to break down when
ever he came to sec her. Her father
was home but little now. Night and
day he stood guard Mt the lane. a
sturdy veteran on some seli-imposed
post OF duty. lie had even slept out
in the bushes several times all night,
coming to his meals in the morning
stiff and sore from the damp, but
with determined look on his face.
He was n man who never yielded
what he thought was right. The
thirty days given by Law had passed,
and the township trustees allowed
10 build the fence in few days.
They had watched things from q dis.
tance and knew how desperate the
old man was.
About this time Dick and Bess hap.
pened to be sitting on the porch in the
harvest moonlight. Uncle Joe was
out on the fence probably. Neither OF
the young people referred to him.
AZ they sat thus Dick turned his
eyes toward the Devils lane.
What was il he saw?
He sprang to his feet. Away DOWN
at the farther end OF 6 lane n cloud
OF smoke curled lazily up.
As he watched, the breeze freshened
n little and lurid glare leaned angri-
ly sl;yward sweeping the fire directly
down the lane.
Some one had fired the underground
which crowded the lane.
1t was time OF the year when ov-
erythine was as dry rs finder. There
had been no rain for weeks and u ire